The setting sun lit the final dying sky like the embers of a burning burial pile. The intense and electrifying beauty was somewhat subdued by the end of the world.
Adrian and Constance sat on two stripy deck chairs on the beach. The crossword lay across Adrian’s lap as he sipped a rum and slightly flat coke. He played with the lidless biro in his left hand dropping it onto the newspaper every so often.
“Barrow,” Constance said suddenly.
“What?” Adrian moved slightly, his heavy eyelids being dragged up for a moment and a look of confusion passed over his relaxed face.
“Seven across, ancient burial mound found on open moor lands, six letters”
“Oh right, yep, fits." Adrian lifted the pen, found the space and filled the empty squares.
“What’s the next question?” Constance asked.
“Mythological men of the apocalypse, how very apt, it’s in four down as well” Adrian shifted the paper to allow a more comfortable resting surface and put ‘HORSEMEN’ in block capitals into the slot.
The solitary couple sat in silence for a while watching the red sky, Adrian began dismantling the pen now the crossword was complete and Constance topped up the two empty glasses on the sand between the chairs.
“I wonder how it will all end,” Constance asked all of a sudden
“We’re going to be incinerated,” Adrian replied matter-of-factly.
“How did you work that out then?”
“Because the sun is rising, it’s about 25˚c and we’re are sitting on the beach. It is also mid-winter, forecast to rain, and three in the morning. Oh yeah and the ice keeps melting and making the coke go flat”
“Fair enough, is it three already?”
“Quarter too”
Again the couple sat in silence. The now empty rum bottle tipped over and filled with water as the heavy tide came in, the bottle drifted away and the icy water swallowed their feet. Slowly the water became warmer along with the air.
Constance picked up her book and began to read the last couple of pages and Adrian set to on a Sudoku he had left earlier.
As the temperature reached just bearable Constance put down her book, reached over and poked Adrian who was slowly drifting into the realms of sleep. Adrian woke with a start and tapped Constance’s hand.
“Mmm” he mumbled before opening his eye completely. They sat holding hands watching the dawn one more time.
As the rays hit the beach everything ignited, Adrian had been correct. The searing white heat burned everything, spreading like a thick bright fog. Everything was gone by the time the sun set again that night.
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